Intermittent feed device

ABSTRACT

An intermittent feed device is provided which comprises first and second shafts rotatably supported on a feed box and engaged with each other by gears connected through a transmission gear mechanism to a drive shaft. First and second cranks are fixed to the first and second shafts, respectively so that the first crank is rotatably connected to a link, said link having a long hole formed axially therewith. The slider is inserted into the long hole. A roller is supported on said link, and a reciprocating carrier is provided on the feed box which reciprocates in the transferring direction. A sliding groove is formed in the carrier and the roller is inserted into the sliding groove.

Oct. 7, 1975 INTERMITTENT FEED DEVICE Inventors: Eiji Ohno; Toshihiro Tanaka;

Hisateru Yamashita, all of Komatsu, Japan l l! l l l l l l I] l Primary ExaminerSamuel Scott Assistant ExaminerF. D. Shoemaker Attorney, Agent, or FirmArmstrong, Nikaido & Wegner [57] ABSTRACT An intermittent feed device is providedwhich comprisesfirst and second shafts rotatably supported on a feed box and engaged with each other by gears connected through a transmission gear mechanism to a drive shaft. First and second cranks are fixed to the first and second shafts, respectively so that the first crank is rotatably connected to a link, said link having a long hole formed axially therewith. The slider is inserted into the long hole. A roller is supported on said link, and a reciprocating carrier is provided on the feed box which reciprocates in the transferring direction. A sliding groove is formed in the carrier and the roller is inserted into the sliding groove.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Sheet 1 0f 6 FIG.

US. Patent 0m. 7,1975

U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of6 3,910,127

Sheet 3 of 6 Oct. 7,1975

US. Patent US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet40f6 3,910,127

FIG. 1D

U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 5 of6 3,910,127

U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 6 of6 3,910,127

FIG. 3

INTERMITTENT FEED DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an intermittent feed device for feeding a Work from one step to the next step, and more particularly to improvements in an intermittent feed device for feeding the work, in turn, to the next step. The device includes a transfer press for integrally pressing plural steps.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, a feed device of the intermittent type such as that disclosed in Japanese Pat. publication No. 36,920/72 is called a gripper transfer device. The conventional intermittent feed device of this type generally has clamping means for gripping the workpiece, workpiece feeding means for feeding the workpiece from one stage to the next stage by slides, drive means for driving the clamping means to pick up the workpiece and also to release the workpiece, and a drive source for moving the slide from one stage to the next stage. The device grips the work to take it when one step is completed, feeds it to the next adjacent stage, and then takes it out to set it. The work is gripped and is taken out of the position at which it is stopped at the prior working stage, and is subsequently transferred to the next working step. Then the work transferred from the position that it is stopped at is again required to be moved.

In order to obtain such motion, the conventional feed device has utilized complicated and expensive devices such as, for example, Geneva cam mechanisms or planetary gear mechanisms. These mechanisms are, however, difficult to manufacture, service and manage, and thus not economical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages of the conventional feed device, and to provide a novel and improved intermittent feed device for feeding work from one step to the next step.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an intermittent feed device which provides a desired reciprocating motion for stopping a carrier by gears and levers, the arrangement of which are simple in compar ison with the conventional Geneva mechanisms and planetary gear mechanisms.

It is another object of the present invention to pro vide an intermittent feed device which does not require variable speed, quick feed and return devices thereon thereby economically providing reciprocating motion.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an intermittent feed device which comprises first and second shafts rotatably supported on a feed box and engaged with each other by gears connected through a transmission gear mechanism to a drive shaft. First and second cranks are fixed to the first and second shafts, respectively, so that the first crank is rotatably connected to a link. A slider is provided on the second crank, said link having a long hole formed axially therewith. The slider is inserted into the long hole. A roller is supported on said link, and a reciprocating carrier is provided on the feed box, which reciprocates in the transferring direction. A sliding groove is formed in the carrier and the roller is inserted into the sliding groove.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an intermittent feed device which comprises, in addition to the above described elements, a clamp carrier slidably inserted into the second sliding groove formed at the other end of said carrier, a transfer bar fixed to said clamp carrier, and a roller holder positioned in the link for holding the roller in such a manner that said roller draws a predetermined reciprocating trace whereupon said slider of the second crank slides in the long holes of said link to reciprocate the carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects, features and advantage of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlGS. 1A1D are plan views at various stages of one embodiment of the intermittent feed device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device taken along the line IIII in FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device along the line llIlIl in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the trace of the roller in the device of this invention;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, numeral 1 represents a feed box having bearings 2, 3, and 4 formed at the center thereof, and bearings 5 formed at one side end of the feed box 1. A shaft 6 is fixed to the bearings 2 and shafts 7 and 8 are supported on bearing members 9 and 10 of the bearings 3 and 4 respectively. A drive shaft 12 is sup ported on bearings 5. A gear 14 on a bearing 13 is mounted on the shaft 6, and meshes with the gear 15 of the drive shaft 12. Gears 16 and 17 are fixed to the shafts 7 and 8 respectively meshing with each other, and the gear 16 meshes with the gear 14. One end of a crank 18 is fixed to the end of the shaft 7, and the other end of the crank 18 is mounted through a pin 22 to one end of a link 19. A slider 24 is rotatably mounted through a pin 25 to one end. of a crank 23, the other end of which is fixed to the end of the shaft 8, and is slidably inserted into the axial hole 26 of the link 19. A roller holder 27 is fixed to the upper surface of the link 19 by four bolts 28, and a roller 29 is positioned in the roller holder 27. Guide rods 30 and 31 are laterally fixed to the feed box 1 in its transferring direction, and a carrier 32 is slidably mounted to these guide rods 30 and 31. A sliding groove 33 is formed at the lower surface of the carrier 32, and the roller 29 is inserted into the sliding groove 33 of the carrier 32. Another sliding groove 34 is formed at the upper portion of the carrier 32, a clamp carrier 35 is slidably inserted into the sliding groove 34 of the carrier 32, and a transfer bar 36 is fixed to the clamp carrier 35. The drive shaft 12 is rotated by the main gear in a press crown, and is accelerated to three times the numberof press strokes.

In operation of the intermittent feed device of this invention, the shaft 7 is rotated through the gears 15, 14 and 16 by the rotation of the drive shaft 12 at the same time the shaft 8 is rotated through the gears 16 and 17. Therefore, the crank 18 is rotated in the direction designated by an arrow in the drawings so that the roller 29 coupled to link 19 through the roller holder 27 draws a trace A shown by one dot and dash line in FIG. 4. The slider 24 of the crank 23 slides in the long hole 26 to guide the movement of the link 19 along the trace A. The carrier 32 is thus reciprocated in the transferring direction Y by the movement of the roller 29. That is to say, when the roller 29 passes along the curved lines A3 and A4 of the trace A, the carrier moves in the transferring direction Y and when roller 29 passes along the parallel parts Al and A2 of the trace A, the carrier 32 is stopped. The carrier 32 thus moves along the curved line A3 as advancing stroke, and then moves along the curved line A4 as returning stroke. Clamping and unclamping are conducted by moving the clamp carrier 35 by a mechanism known per se.

The intermittent feed device of this invention thus comprises shafts 7 and 8 rotatably supported on a feed box 1 and engaged with each other by gears connected through a transmission gear mechanism to a drive shaft 12. cranks l8 and 23 are fixed to the shafts 7 and 8, respectively so that the crank 18 is rotatably connected to a link 19. A slider 24 is positioned on the crank 23, and the link 19 has a long hole 26 formed axially therewith. The slider 24 is inserted into the long hole 26 and a roller 29 is supported by the link 19. A carrier 32 reciprocates on the feed box 1 in its transferring direction and has a sliding groove 33 formed in the clamping direction so that the roller 29 is inserted into the sliding groove 33. The device therefore provides a desired reciprocating motion for stopping the carrier by the gear and the cranks which are simple in comparison with the conventional Geneva mechanism and planetary gear mechanism, and does not necessiate variable speed quick feed and return devices thereon.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:

1. An intermittent feed device comprising first and second shafts rotatably supported on a feed box and engaged with each other by gears connected through a transmission gear mechanism to a drive shaft, first and second cranks fixed to said first and second shafts, respectively, a link wherein said first crank is rotatably connected to said link, a slider provided on said second crank, said link having a long hole formed axially therein wherein said slider is inserted into the long hole of said link, a roller supported on said link, a carrier reciprocatingly coupled to the feed box in its transferring direction and having a sliding groove formed therein wherein said roller is inserted into the sliding groove of said carrier whereby the rotation of said drive shaft rotates said first and second cranks and said link is thereby moved, the movement being guided by said slider, whereby said carrier is reciprocated by the movement of said roller in said sliding groove of said carrier.

2. An intermittent feed device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a clamp carrier slidably inserted into a second sliding groove formed at the other end of said carrier, a transfer box fixed to said clamp carrier, first and second guide rods laterally fixed to the said feed box in the transferring direction thereof such that said carrier is slidably mounted on the guide rods.

3. An intermittent feed device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a roller holder provided on said link for holding said roller such that said roller draws a predetermined reciprocating trace whereby said slider of the second crank slides in the long hole of said link. 

1. An intermittent feed device comprising first and second shafts rotatably supported on a feed box and engaged with each other by gears connected through a transmission gear mechanism to a drive shaft, first and second cranks fixed to said first and second shafts, respectively, a link wherein said first crank is rotatably connected to said link, a slider provided on said second crank, said link having a long hole formed axially therein wherein said slider is inserted into the long hole of said link, a roller supported on said link, a carrier reciprocatingly coupled to the feed box in its transferring direction and having a sliding groove formed therein wherein said roller is inserted into the sliding groove of said carrier whereby the rotation of said drive shaft rotates said first and second cranks and said link is thereby moved, the movement being guided by said slider, whereby said carrier is reciprocated by the movement of said roller in said sliding groove of said carrier.
 2. An intermittent feed device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a clamp carrier slidably inserted into a second sliding groove formed at the other end of said carrier, a transfer box fixed to said clamp carrier, first and second guide rods laterally fixed to the said feed box in the transferring direction thereof such that said carrier is slidably mounted on the guide rods.
 3. An intermittent feed device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a roller holder provided on said link for holding said roller such that said roller draws a predetermined reciprocating trace whereby said slider of the second crank slides in the long hole of said link. 